Regional Vice Chair, Africa
Growing up in a community that lived outside a protected area, Monipher has from a young age, learnt to appreciate the rich biodiversity of her country, Malawi, which led me her to pursue a career in conservation. Monipher has considerable experience in conservation policy having worked for the Government of Malawi, in its implementation of programmes and initiatives that fulfil its obligations under the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). She is an experienced coordinator and negotiator, having negotiated for several years on the Convention on Biological Diversity and its protocols for Malawi and has vast knowledge on linking best practices learnt from national level implementation into international policy negotiations. In addition to leading IFAW’s engagement in the CBD, Monipher's role involves advocating IFAW's positions to African governments across the range of international conventions and agreements that fall within the remit of IFAW’s international policy program and supporting IFAW’s engagement with African regional forums. She holds a Master of Philosophy in Conservation Leadership from University of Cambridge in UK with special interests on integration of conservation and development, local community property rights to land and natural resources (ownership, control, access, and use), ecosystem valuations, economic and social incentives for conservation for the poor and vulnerable sections of society.

Deputy Regional Vice Chair, Africa
Emmanuel LOKPAKA BAFALATA is Deputy Vice Chair for Africa at the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP). A forestry planner by training and holder of a master's degree in environmental engineering, Emmanuel's passion lies in the themes related to protected areas and biodiversity in connection with humans, especially young people. He has been working for almost 5 years as a volunteer ambassador in the DRC for the IUCN Program on African Protected Areas and Conservation (PAPACO), where he promotes conservation MOOCs on protected area management. This makes him a reference person for youth and conservation NGOs. And for the past 3 years, Emmanuel has been, coordinating projects and activities within the Congolese Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN DRC), an official youth group of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). His vision is to engage many youths in conservation issues in order to positively impact their communities.